It was supposed to be the Tour Triumphant, showing that Indonesia – the globe’s fourth-most populous nation – has a cosmopolitan new boss who can stride the world stage with panache. But cashiered former general Prabowo Subianto has tripped badly.
Indonesia’s eighth President has flunked his first test at high-stakes bargaining in China, while in the US he’s been snubbed by President-elect Donald Trump.
On his third visit to Beijing since winning the February election, Prabowo has signed $10 billion worth of business, reports the dutiful Indonesian news agency Antara.
In Beijing, he met President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang for an all-male formal. The Chinese press said the “multiple bilateral cooperation documents (were) in joint development, blue economy, water conservancy, minerals and other fields.” No dollar numbers were included.
China is the archipelago’s largest trading partner with exports worth more than $71 billion in 2022, up from below $40 billion in eight years.
International media looked closer, questioning what deals have been done for Indonesia is in heavy debt to Beijing – above $28 billion according to Bank Indonesia.
Has Prabowo started flogging off the family silver or carelessly allowed the more astute Chinese to exploit his grandiosity?
The English language version of the Joint Statement includes this over-long sentence, quoted in full to avoid charges of selective reporting: The two sides reached important common understanding on joint development in areas of overlapping claims and agreed to establish an Inter-Governmental Joint Steering Committee to explore and advance relevant cooperation based on the principles of “mutual respect, equality, mutual benefit, flexibility, pragmatism, and consensus-building”, pursuant to their respective prevailing laws and regulations.
Indonesia has long asserted that there’s no such thing as “overlapping claims” but the foreign media has seized on the phrase.
Indonesian sea law academic and ANU PhD student Aristyo Rizka Darmawan writing in the Lowy Institute’s The Interpreter says the joint statement:
“… has betrayed Indonesia’s national interest and seems to be a huge win for Beijing … (that) has significantly changed the political constellation and solidarity of ASEAN claimant states in the South China Sea.
“Indonesia appears to be the first ASEAN member-state to …fall into China’s nine-dash line trap. This is a contradictory and reckless policy, dangerous for Indonesia and for the region.”
Jakarta’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs rapidly rejected this interpretation: “Nothing in the cooperation may be construed in any way as a recognition of the Nine-Dash Line claim … the cooperation shall, under no circumstances, affect Indonesia’s sovereignty, sovereign rights, or jurisdiction in the North Natuna Sea.”
The joint statement refers only to the ‘South China Sea’.
(China’s internationally unrecognised Nine-Dash Line allegedly intrudes into Indonesia’s Exclusive Economic Zone and has been the site of physical clashes between coastguards and fishers. The latest was last month.)
The Asia Times blamed the devious dealings / stuff-up on “the inexperience of Indonesia’s new Foreign Minister Sugiono, a protégé of Prabowo’s with no previous foreign policy experience … Sugiono was advised by foreign ministry officials about the problematic language but he failed to push his Chinese counterparts to budge on the wording.”
Prabowo uses every opportunity to flag that his country is non-aligned, but his first trip overseas as President semaphored a marked lean to the left.
The initial stop was Beijing, the capital he visited twice after winning the February election. At that time he also included a chat with Vladimir Putin in Moscow.
Only after that bucket list had been emptied did he remember Washington – where he discovered Trump was too busy to meet despite much embarrassing pleading. “Wherever you are, I’m willing to fly to congratulate you personally, Sir.”
Comparisons with the red-carpet reception, 21-gun salute and banquet in the Great Hall of the People were stark. Who cares about “overlapping” when drinking to each other’s glorious futures?
Prabowo did get to a fireside with outgoing President Joe Biden in the White House with the Indonesian media reporting they discussed climate issues, conflicts in the Middle East and the South China Sea. An Antara handshake photo seemed to show the stove embers needing a good poke and more logs.
He only spoke on a cellphone publicly to the President-elect after arriving at the Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland. Recordings suggest Trump didn’t know who he was talking to or where the caller was from; using his small swag of one-size-fits-all adjectives he reportedly told Prabowo during the three-minute call:
“Well, you, whenever you are around, please let me know. I would like to also get to your country sometime. The job that you are doing is incredible. You are such a respected person. I give you credit for that. That is not easy.
“You call (me) anytime you want. You have my number. It is my great honour to talk to you, and I will see you soon. I look forward to (it)”.
In diplomatic terms, this is a knee in the crutch. Even a chance encounter at a toilet door would get more courtesy. Whatever incompetence elsewhere, respect can only get better in Peru, Brazil, the UK and undisclosed states in the Middle East.
Back in Indonesia, some media were reporting Trump was surprised Prabowo spoke good English. A Google check by any casual work-experience aide would have shown that as a child the future Indonesian leader was educated in the UK and as a soldier later in the US.
The research would have also revealed Prabowo had been banned entry into the US till 2019 for alleged human rights abuses in Jakarta and East Timor. Immigration gates opened only after he became Minister for Defence.
That fact hasn’t been well promoted in the Indonesian media.
Since the February election Prabowo has spoken only to two Western media outlets – Al Jazeera TV and Time magazine – and his spokesman has said no more interviews. So, most info is generated by Prabowo’s media team.
Like smoke packs, they should carry a warning: Bias, untruths and omissions are toxic ingredients included in all official statements and can damage your comprehension of world affairs.
Duncan Graham has been a journalist for more than 40 years in print, radio and TV. He is the author of People Next Door (UWA Press). He is now writing for the English language media in Indonesia from within Indonesia.
Duncan Graham has an MPhil degree, a Walkley Award, two Human Rights Commission awards and other prizes for his radio, TV and print journalism in Australia. He lives in East Java.
Contributions to Pearls and Irritations
Your contribution will fund quality independent comment and analysis in Pearls and Irritations
Contribute
